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The End of Commander Red (レッド総帥死す！！,Reddo Sōsui Shisu, lit. "Commander Red Dies!!") is the tenth episode of the Commander Red Saga and the sixty-seventh episode in the Dragon Ball series. The episode first aired on June 24, 1987.

Contents

Summary

Goku kicks Staff Officer Black

In an attempt to acquire two Dragon Balls, Goku infiltrates the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters, where he must face, and destroys most of the army. Witnessing the chaos, Red angrily declares the hundreds of soldiers being killed by Goku to be idiots, as despite their being trained professionals, they couldn't even handle one child (Goku). Staff Officer Black then reminds him that Goku did possess extraordinary powers, with Red sarcastically stating he noticed and didn't need a reminder due to only missing one eye while deriding Black as an imbecile, as well as blaming Black for not training the soldiers properly. Meanwhile, Colonel Violet, realizing that the Red Ribbon Army's finished, proceeded to raid the safe containing the various funding for the Red Ribbon Army and proceeded to steal it as her "severance package." She also deliberately made sure she was near a security camera, knowing full well that the Red Ribbon officers are unable to do a thing about it in the current situation even if they knew. Afterwards, Black, noticing that the various Red Ribbon Army soldiers are evacuating the premises and informed Red about this development. Red then ordered Black to demand they stay put, as it "wasn't a democracy." With time running out, Commander Red refuses to leave or to fight Goku, having Staff Officer Black fight Goku instead. Goku and Black then fight, with Black vowing that he will allow Goku to see the Commander... in pieces.

Staff Officer Black kills Commander Red

Although Black manages to hold his own against Goku, Goku still was the superior fighter, and managed to punch Black out of a window. Unfortunately, Red witnessed the whole fight from within his office and decided to activate a trap ceiling, hoping to kill Goku. Celebrating Goku's death, Commander Red makes preparations for his wish: contrary to what he led his army to believe, it was not about world domination, but in actuality to become taller. Staff Officer Black, having survived and gotten out of his precarious situation, overheard Red's true wish, and confronts Commander Red on it, claiming that it was a selfish wish that had nothing to do with the Red Ribbon Army. Commander Red justifies that the wish will not only make him taller, but also at the same time make his army larger, citing that Black doesn't understand his plans.

Black in his Battle Jacket, fighting with Goku

Black then tells him that Red's lame plan is going to get the Red Ribbon Army killed for nothing. Red then states that he is the Red Ribbon Army, and that his wish to become taller is as good as everyone elses, citing that he had to spend most of his life being a pebble in a land of giants, growing sick of having his genius being confined in a miniscule body. Black denounces him as having no loyalty, and that he sold him out to satisfy his vanity. Red then cites that Black will never become a Commander because he was just a lackey and an errand boy, and he was pathetic for this day and age. Black retaliates by ending the Commander's life, and plans to have the Red Ribbon Army ushered into an era of greatness, with his first order of business to conquer the planet. Goku, revealing that he had survived, is then extended an invitation to join the Red Ribbon Army by Black, which he plans to rename the Black Ribbon Army, but Goku refuses, and they do battle once more. With just Staff Officer Black and few soldiers left, the odds are favored for Goku, but the diabolical Staff Officer has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Differences from the Manga

The anime omits most of Commander Red's motivations for wanting to become taller, namely the fact that he wanted girls to adore him, with it only being briefly implied that he was bullied as a youth for his dwarfism when he says "Soon no one will ever be able to look down at Commander Red again!"

In addition, how Red admits his true wish is different: In the manga, he obliviously admits it in front of Commander Black in a state of panic upon learning that Goku was headed for him. In the anime, he forces Black to fight Goku and then attempts to kill them both via a trap ceiling (with Black narrowly surviving thanks to Goku punching him out of a window earlier), and reveals it after thinking Black was dead, and also comes across as much more confident even when confronted with Black's survival in admitting it.

Trivia

In the shot after Goku jumps through the window to confront Staff Officer Black, the sheath of his Power Pole is colored brown.

Several times during this episode, Commander Red reverts to his Scottish accent as heard in his early episodes. This is especially apparent near his death, where he says "I am the Red Ribbon Army! What's good for me is good for everyone and I want to be taller! All my life, I've drawn the short straw; I've had to contend with being a mere pebble in a land of giants. It is the curse of my existence." in standard English, but then says "You couldn't possibly understand what it's like...the nightmare of being a genius...yet trapped inside this ugly little body!" in a Scottish accent.